The British government, on behalf of the public has, along with the other member governments of the European Union, agreed to minimum environmental standards. These standards are expressed in European Directives which are then passed into British Law. Activities of the Water Service Companies and the Water Supply Companies are affected by the requirements of these European Directives, including the EC Drinking Water Directive, the EC Bathing Water Directive and the EC Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. These Directives are binding on the UK government, NOT the Water Companies themselves and have to be achieved within a specified time period. If the Commission considered that the UK or any other member state had failed to fulfil any of its obligations, then it could take legal proceedings designed to require that member state to comply with the appropriate directives. The directives only become binding upon Water Companies when they are translated into the law of England and Wales.

1. What is the genetic code?

2. Which molecule contains the genetic information that is transmitted hereditarily and which controls cellular function?

3. How are the concepts of DNA, genes, proteins and the characteristics of living organisms related?

4. What is the role of messenger RNA and ribosomes in protein synthesis?

5. What subunits make up ribosomes?

6. How different is the location of ribosomes in eukaryotic and in prokaryotic cells?

7. How is the presence of ribosomes inside mitochondria and chloroplasts explained?

8. What are some examples of human cells that produce proteins for exportation? Which cytoplasmic organelle must be well-developed and abundant in those cells?

9. Which ribosomes are the more abundant in secretory cells, the ribosomes free in the cytoplasm or those attached to the rough endoplasmic reticulum?

10. Where in eukaryotic cells does mRNA synthesis occur? Where do these molecules migrate to?